Fuel-mixing device for internal-combustion engines



Mar. 20,1923. 1,448,828

r J; B. cHAcE FUEL MIXING DEVICE FOR IIQT ERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINESOriginal Filed Sept. 27, 1919 Patented ill lei. Ell, 19255.

srarias JOHN B. CHACE OF SOUTH ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS;

Application filed September 27,.1919, Serial No. 326,989.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jenn l3. (lunch. a citizen of the United Statesresiding at South Attleboro, in the county of Bristol,

State of Massachusetts, have invented vertain new and usefulImprovements in Fuel- Miiiing Devices for lnternah Combustion Engines,of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved fuel-mixing device for internal-combustionor hydrocarbon engines. One object of my improvement .is to providemeans forwhirling the vaporized fuel around the interior ot theintake-manifold of the engine as it passes therethrough to churn and mixthe gas and air particles together, whereby a more highly explosive andefficient mixture is supplied to the co-mb ustion-chambers.

Another object of the inventionis to provide means for breaking up ordividing the particles of fuel as theypass through the intake-manifoldto the engine to further facilitate the mixing of the gas with the air.

A. still further object of the improvement is to provide a fuel-mixingdevice which may be applied to use with carburetors of practically alltypes without interference with the butterfly valve which controls theegress of the fuel mixture from the carburetor.

The manner and means for carrying out the improvements are fullydescribed in the following specification, illustrated by theaccompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate likeparts. In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view of the intake-manifold of the gas-engine, showing thecarburetor attached thereto, and illustrating my improved fuel-mixingdevice applied to use thereon;

Fig. 2 device; v s

Fig. 3, an enlarged cross-sectional view of theintake-pipe of theengine, showing my improved device applied thereto; and

Fig. 4 is a development of the blank from which the mixing-element ofthe device is constructed.

Re'ferringfirst to Fig. 1, C designates the fuel-supplying device orcarburetor of the engine which is usually formed with a flanged pipe 2for attaching it to the flanged end 3 of the manifold or intake pipeUsually the flanges on the carbureis a plan view of the fuel-mixingRenewed December 22, 1922.

tor and intake-pipe are of substantially triangular shape in plan-view,and are pro- Vided with opposite holes 5-5 for receiving the bolts orstudsG-(S which. hold the carburetor in place; My improved mixingdeviceis preferably applied to the intakeopening in the manifold, and theflanged joint between the pipe 4 and carbureton pipe 2 serves as aconvenient means for holding it in position.

As shown in Fig. 2, my improved mixing-device consists essentially of aflat plate A. shaped to conform to the flanges on the pipes 2 and l andprovi 1ledwith holes 7-(' for the fastening bolts t5-6 to pass through.At the center of the platedi is an aperture or orifice 8 adapted toregister with the intake-opening in the manifold i, and preferahly theedge of the opening is serrated to form sharp points orv saw-teeth whichassist in breaking up the particles of gas passing through the orificeS.At diametrically opposite points across the opening 8 are two ears orlugs 99 which extend inwardly and are then bent upwardly at rightnngles,as shown in. F 3, to adapt them to support the mixing-elementlO.

This latter element consists in a' vertically-extending central supportor spindle 11 provided with a seriesofspaced spurs or vanes 12 extendingradially therefrom. The element 10 is constructed from a sheetmetalblank 13 punched. out in the shape shown in Fig. at, and at its base isan arched bridge-piece 13. The opposite ends of the bridge-piece 13 areadaptedt-o be seated. in U-shaped sockets 14; which are formed byopposite cars 15 on the upstanding lugs9 at the sides of the opening 8in the plateA, see Figs. 2 and 3. Before assembling the vaned-member 10on the plate A the flat blank B. shown in Fig. 4, is twisted or bent onits central axis to bring the vanes 12 into radial position around thecentral spindlell. In twisting the blank B the latter is held at top andbottom and its ends given one complete turn in relation to each other.

This will cause the spurs or vanes 12 to be twisted around intostaggered relation with each other. whereby their outer ends :willprogress in a spiral plane forminga complete helix extending from top tobottom of the element in the manner of a screw-thread. The twisting ofthe blank B in the manner aoove described also acts to displace thevanes or spurs 12 at an angle to cause them plateAit passes across the Ithe latter and as the saw-teeth project to be set in inclined relationto the central, vertical spindle 11 from which they radiate, see Figs. 2and 3.

After the blank B has been twisted into the shape shown in Figs. 2 and3, its lower support or arched bridge-member 13 is set in place in thesockets 14 on the lugs 9 and united thereto by soldering its ends inplace therein or by swaging the ears 15 thereagainst. In this manner aunitary structure is provided with the n'iixingelement 10 supportedacross and projecting above the opening or orifice 8 inthe plate A.

In applying my improved device to use with the carburetor C the latteris removed from the end of the manifold 4rby unscrewing the bolts 6-6,and the plate A is then placed across the top of its flanged-pipe 2.Suitable gaskets, represented at G--Gr in Figs. 1 and 3, are fitted tothe top and bottom of the plate A and when the carburetor C is set inposition again and the bolts 66 screwed through the flanges a leak-proofjoint is formed, with the plate A held in place across the openmg 1n theintake-manifold 4i. It is to be particularly noted that with my deviceapplied to the joint between the intake-manifold and the carburetor thearched bridge-piece 13 supports the mixing element 10 elevated upon theupper end of the carburetor-pipe 2. The purpose of this arrangement isto provide a clearance for the butter-fly valve V, see Fig. 8, which ispivoted to turn within the carburetor-pipe 4; to regulate the amount offuel passing through the pipe 2 of the carburetor to the engine-intake.Through this provision the operation of the butter-fly valve V inopening it to its full extent is not impeded or ob structed in any way,so that my improved device does not interfere withthe normal controloffuel supplied by the carburetor to the engine.

In use my improved device operates as follows: \Vhen the engine isstarted the fuel mixture of gas and air is sucked up from the carburetorC through the manifold 4: which communicates with thecombustion-chambers of the cylinders by means of the usual arrangementof valves, not here in shown. As the fuel is drawn into the intake-pipe4: throughthe opening 8 in the serrated edge of slightly within the edgeof the opening in the manifold i, thepointed ends of the teeth assist inbreaking up the particles of fuel as it flows out of the carburetor. Asthe fuel is sucked up through the intake-pipe 4 it comes into contactwith the vanes or spurs 12 on the mixing-element 10, and the in clinededges of these vanes serve as sharp battles to further break up theglobules of heavy fuel and separate it into finer part'lCjl-S- A portionof these fine particles will naaseae be drawn through the openingsbet-ween the staggered vanes 12, but the main column of the mixture willhave a tendency to pass across the sides ofthe vanes and follow a spiralcourse around the central spindle 11. It will thus be seen that theprincipal effect of the helically disposed vanes or spurs 12 will be togive the fuel a whirling motion as it passes through the pipe i causingit to swirl around the interior of the pipe in somewhat the manner of awater-spout or cyclone. This whirling or swirling motion imparted to thefuel sets up a churning action in the minute particles of hydrocarbonvapor, and assisted by the action of the sharp edges of the vanes 12across which the particles of fuel pass, the whole column of gas isthoroughly broken up and mixed with the air which has been injected inthrough the air-ports of the carburetor C. The fuehparticles being thusdisintegrated and broken up while being carried spirally around theintake with a swirling motion causes the hydrocarbon gas to be morethoroughly volatilized with the air, and consequently the mixturebecomes more highly explosive, tending to increase the force andefliciency of combustion in the engine cylinders when the charge isexploded.

It has been demonstrated that thischurning action of the fuel againstthe multiple vanes of the mixing-element produces a maximum effect inthoroughly mixing the gas'with the air and hence, by raising the forceof the explosion of the charge in the cylinders, the power of. theengine is increased to a very considerable extent. Furthermore, thethoroughly mixed gas; will be more completely consumed under combustion,thereby tending to prevent the deposit of carbon on the cylinders,pistons and valves. d

It will be observed that my device is extremely simple in construction,remarkably easy to apply to use, and universally adapted for practicallyall types of carburetors without interference with the operating partsthereof. It may be manufactured at relatively small cost and when onceinstalled serves to economize fuel, increase the power of the engine andprevent carbon deposits which tend to reduce the efliciency of themotor.

Various modifications might be made in the form and structure of myimproved device without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention, therefore, without limiting myself to the exact embodimentherein shown and described, what I claim is:

1. In a fuel-mixing device for internalcombustion engines, thecombination with the intake-manifold thereof, of a central spindlesupported axially within the manifold, a plurality of sharp-edged spursprojecting radially from the spindle, said spurs being substantiallyrectangular in cross-secti0n and twisted spirally in a general helicalplane surrounding the central axis of the spindle.

2. A fuel-mixing device comprising a flat plate having a central orificeand a mixingelement supported across said orifice, said mixing-elementconsisting in a strip of sheet metal formed With a central spindle andopposite spaced spurs projecting perpendicu larly therefrom, with themember twisted spirally to bring the spurs in staggered relation in ahelical plane With their sides inclined to the vertical axis from whichthey radiate.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN B. CHACE.

